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Tuesday, 29 January, 2002, 06:04 GMT
Daly joins European tour
John Daly will compete in Melbourne this week
John Daly, the 1995 Open champion, has become the latest golfer to join the European tour.
Despite admitting that he became "petrified" about flying after the 11 September attacks last year, Daly has decided to increase his overseas trips this season. And because events like this week's Heineken Classic in Melbourne count towards the European Order of Merit, the American star has taken up the option of joining the circuit. "I almost did it last year, but now I have and I think it's not only a good move on my part, but also good for golf and hopefully good for the European tour," Daly said on Tuesday.
The 35-year-old, who has had two spells in alcohol rehabilitation centres during his controversial career, ended five years without a win when he captured the BMW International Open in Munich last September.
It helped his world ranking shoot up from 507th to 47th in the space of 12 months and, having equalled his best US Tour finish for six years when he was fourth in the Phoenix Open on Sunday, Daly is looking to move even higher. "For the first time everything in my life is the way I want it," said Daly, who last year got married for the fourth time. As well as defending his BMW title, Daly's planned European appearances include the Benson and Hedges International at The Belfry in May and the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond in July - plus the Open at Muirfield, of course. His first priority, though, is to achieve a place in the Masters in April. Top 50 place Daly's five-year exemption to Augusta from winning the Open at St Andrews ran out last year, but he needs to stay in the world's top 50 for another month to earn himself a return. A good performance this week could well secure that and he said: "I've been told that Royal Melbourne should be right up my alley if I'm driving it straight." The flight from Phoenix was the first commercial one Daly had taken following the terrorist attacks and, after the shoe-bomber incident last month, he had to bare his feet to security guards before getting on board. "I was not too proud to take my shoes off and show people my feet. I think it's something that everybody who flies now should get checked real good. "But after I get back home from here I'll probably be going by private jet the rest of the year."
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